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No. 622,995. K Patented Apr. Il, |899.

R. A. COFFEE. TDBACCU STEMMING-MACHINE.

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No. 622,995. Patented Apr. Il, |899. R. A. COFFEE. TUBAccn STEMMING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 30, 1898.) (un model.) z sham-sheet 2.

\` Arrows/Em UNITED STATES PATENT .OEETCE -RUSSELL A. COFFEE, OF RIOHMOND,VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE UNIVERSAL STRIPPING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TOBACCO-STEMMING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,995, dated April 11, 1899.`

Application led August 30,1898. Serial No. 689,864. (No model.)

T a/ZZ whom, t ina/y concern:

Beit known that I, VRUSSELL A. COFFEE, vresiding at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Stemming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tobacco-leaf-stemming machines, and more lo particularly to means for gathering and separating the leaf and stem portions that are broken from the main part or body of the leaf during the operation of stemming and for conveying them to such point and in such coni 5 dition as to permit their bein g readily handled and rendered fit for use.

In the practical application of various forms of automatically-operatin g tobacco-stemming machines great diiiiculty has been experienced in properly separating the perfectlystripped leaf particles from the broken stems and their adhering leaf particles.

` Y y In the practical use of leaf-stemming machines heretofore provided the broken stems and leaf particles adhering thereto are generally discharged in the same direction with the perfectly separated leaf portions, and sometimes they are mixed with such perfect leaf portions. This mixing of the imperfectlyseparated leaf portions with the good leaf separations is very objectionable, as it requires a careful assorting of the product by hand, thereby entailing considerable expense and Waste of time and also decreasing the value 3 5 of the good leaf separations by reason of the small stem particles likely to remain mixed therewith even after a careful sorting.

The main purpose of my invention is to provide means for positively gathering, holding, and separating the broken leaf or stem particles or the entire leaf, (should the same break at the butt as it engages the strippers or wiper mechanism,) such means being disposed at such point that all danger of the said broken-leaf particles or unstemmed leaf mixing with the good leaf separations is absolutely avoided.

Another and important feature of my invention is to provide a broken stem and leaf conveyer which will assist the leaf-carrier in properly feeding the leaf to the stripper or -Wiping n mechanism.

In its essential features my invention comprises a traveling member disposed and movable in'such relation to the stripper-leaf-feed 5 5 and stem-drawing mechanism as to engage with the leaf and have frictional contact therewith during the whole time that the leaf is drawn through the stripping mechanism and having sufficient grip to make the said 6o leaf move therewith, but insufficient to retard its being pulled therethrough by the stemdrawing mechanism.

In its more speciiic nature this invention comprisestwo endless belts having coacting faces so arranged as to permit the leaf being drawn therethrough and having the opposing members so adjusted as to frictionally grip the leaf sufficiently to carry it along in the direction of the movement of the beltsif the 7o leaf should break.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my` invention arranged and especially adapted for use in connection with a particular form of stripper or wiping mechanism and leaf-carrier and stem-drawing devices which form the subject-matter of another application, Serial No. 675,119, filed March 25,. 1898, by A. R. Allison, and a' copending application, Serial No. 689,856, iiled on August 8o 30, 1898, by A. R. Allison and C. E. Buek. I desire it understood, however, that while the detailed arrangement of my invention as illustrated particularly adapts it for the aforesaid type of stemming-machines, the same, with slight variations or modifications, is susceptible of use with other mechanism for the performance of feeding and stripping the leaf and drawing the stem.

The subordinate features of my invention 9o comprise certain combinations of the gathering and separating means with the stripperleaf-carrying and stem-drawing mechanism shown, as will be first described in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front end view of a tobaccoleaf-stem ming machine equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a det-ail longitudinal roo section of the wiping mechanism-and illustrating its correlation'with my improved separator devices. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one end of a tobacco-leaf-stemming machine with my separator devices applied. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the general arrangement of my improved separator mechanism, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the drive-gearing for operating the said belts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 50 indicates a suitably-arranged supportingframe upon which are mounted the stripper mechanism and means forautomatically feeding the leaves thereto and drawing the same therebetween. As shown in the accom panying drawings, the stripper mechanism comprises a pair of endless belts 51 5l, horizontally jou rnaled upon an inner set of rolls 51n and an lout er set of rolls lb, said rolls in practice being driven in such manner as to cause the belts to rotate toward each other. The

Abelts have theiroutersurfaces formed of cardclothing, the two surfaces forming, as it were, coacting opposing wiping-surfaces whereby to remove the leaf from the stem by a wiping action as said stem is drawn up through the same.

111 the machine shown the leaf is fed to the stripping mechanism by a rotary carrier 9, having a series of peri plierally arranged clamping members 90, adapted to grip the is drawn from the butt-end through the stripper mechanism will be engaged by it, such carrier having means for fricti'onally holding the leaf.

In the accompanying drawings the carrier consists of two endless belts 1 2. When used in connection with the stripping mechanism shown, the said belts are arranged to travel in the direction of th'e feed of the leaf.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the leaf-carrier is in the nature of a rotary disk 9, which acts to iirst deliver the leaf to the wipers at the entrant end thereof and then draw it through the same and at the same time lengthwise of the wiping-faces.

The belts 1 2 are mounted on the horizontal front pulleys 3 4, journaled in advance of the entrant end of the stripping-belts 51 and like pulleys 5 6, journaled at the rear end of the machine.

The forward pulleys 3 4 are somewhat separated to provide a throat for the convenient entrance of the hanging leaf as it is carried from the feed devices to the stripping-belts;

but the belts 1 and 2 are brought sufficiently close together at or near the front end of the strippers 51 to frictionally engage the leaf sufficiently to carry it off to the rear of the machine, but not enough to retardthe drawing action of the disk-carrier 9, and to pro-- vide for closing up the belts 1 and 2 at a point near the entrant end of the stripping-belts adjusting means are provided-as, for example, an idler guide-pulley 10, journaled on the bracket 11, having transverse and longitudinal adjustment. (See Fig. 4.)

When used in connection with the stripping and carrier mechanism shown, the belts 1 and 2 are driven at a speed equal that of the sidewise movement of the leaf between the strippers, and for this purpose one ofthe rear pulleys 5 has its shaft 5 provided with a beveled gear 5b, held in mesh with the beveled pinion 12 on the short shaft 13, having ardrivepulley 14 belted to an operating-shaft, in turn driven by the gearing operating the rotary leaf-carrier. (Not shown.) The shaft 5L has a chain-gear 5C, over which passes a chain 16, which engages a chain-gear 16 on the shaft on the opposite belt-driving' pulley and an idler 17.

By providing the movable belts 1 and 2, having a speed equal that of the sidewise movement of the leaf as it is being stripped, it is obvious that such belt will also act as a carrier for moving the outer or tip end ofthe leaf uniformly along with the butt-end. It should be stated, however, that while such speed of the belts is desirable with a main carrier and stripper mechanism of the character stated'such speed of belts is not absolutely necessary, as they do not sufieiently grip the leaf to retard its being pulled therefrom and without danger of breaking.

' In its complete form my separating mechanism also comprises blast mechanism adapted to blow off the perfectly-separated leaf particles as they drop from the wipers, and such devices comprise a blast-fan 20, having a discharge-tube 21, the mouth of which ejects the blast transversely of the machine at a point under the stripper-belts and above the endless belts 1 and 2, as best shown in Fig. 2, by

, reference to which it will also be seen that opposite the mouth-tube 21 is located a throatway 23, into which the good leaf separations are blown and from which they are discharged to one side of the machine.

By discharging the air-current just above the belts 1 and 2 it is obvious that any broken leaf and stem portions held between' the belts will not be sufficiently affected thereby to pull tool IIO

any portion of the leaf or stem become broken at a point below the strippers the same, by reason of the belts gripping the lower end thereof, will be carried back to the rear end of the machine and discharged therefrom, it being well understood that as the leaf is drawn up the danger of breaking of the stem diminishes as the tip end thereof is drawn in between the strippers. It will therefore be understood that the belts 1 and 2 will engage with the lower end of the leaf until the major part of the butt-end has passed between the strippers, such end being the most liable to break in the wiping action. Should,however, for any reason the stem break immediately at the butt-end, the entire leaf, by reason of its frictional contact with the belts, will be car- I ried back and discharged.

It will thus be seen lthat by providing separator devices of the character stated the 4lower end of the leaf will not alone be properly guided as it is drawn forward between the strippers, but will also be held with sufficient force to prevent its being blown sidewise from the machine to be discharged at the rear end.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

l. In a tobacco-leaf-stemming machine of the character described; the combination with the stripping mechanism and means for feeding and drawing t-he leaf therethrough; of a separator movable in close relation to the stripping mechanism and normally adapted to engage and grip the outer portion of the leaf and thereby convey it away from the stripping mechanism incase the stem is broken, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a tobacco stemming machine; the combination of a stripping mechanism anda stem feeder andv drawer; of a leaf-engaging member movable in close relation'to the stripping mechanism ina direction different from the direction of pull on the stem and adapted normally to engage the leaf and thereby convey it away from the stripping mechanism in case the stem is broken during the drawing action, as set forth.

3. A tobacco-stemming machine, having in combination with the'stripping and leaf-feeding and stem-drawing mechanism, means for frictionally engaging the outer portion of the leaf as it is being stripped, and adapted to convey it away from the strippers and from the perfectly-separated leaf particles, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

4. In a tobacco-leaf-stemming machine of the character described; in combination with the stripping and leaf-carrier'and stem-drawing mechanism, of means for removing the perfect leaf separations in one direction and the broken or imperfect particles simultaneously in another direction, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a tobacco-stemming machine of the character described; the combination with the stripping, leaf-feed' and stein-drawing mechanism and the drive-gearing therefor; of a separator comprising a pair of endless bands held to travel in line with the lateral movement of the stem through the stripping mechanism; the gearing for operating the said belts including a short shaft and having a drive-pulley; and gear connections joining such pulley with the carrier drive-gearing, all being arranged substantially as shown and described. I

6. In a tobacco-stem ming machine; in combination wit-h the stripper and leaf-carrier and stem-drawing mechanism, arranged substantially as shown; of endless separated belts movable longitudinally of the machine, having coacting faces inline with the line of lateral movement of the stem and leaf; the wipers; and means for adjusting the extent of the frictional contact of the belts and their points of contact relatively to the entrant end thereof, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

7. In combination with the stripping or IOO perfectly-separated leaf particles as they are removed from the stem by the strippers, substantially vas shown and for the purposes described.

RUSSELL A. COFFEE. Witnesses:

C. E. BUEK, A. R. ALLIsoN.

IOS 

